Buffalo in Erie County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Hanna Furnace

By Anton Schwarzmueller, April 10, 2016

1. Hanna Furnace Marker

Inscription. Established in the early 1900s and productive until its closing in 1982; Hanna Furnace was Buffalo's lucrative pig iron manufacturer employing 800 and producing over 3,000 tons of pig iron per day.

The term "pig iron" arose from the old method of casting blast furnace iron into moulds arranged in sand beds such that they could be fed from a commin runner. The group of moulds resembled a litter of sucking pigs, the ingots being called "pigs" and the runner the "sow." Source http://www.pigiron.org.uk

The area before you was once packed with hundreds of proud workers in Buffalo's booming steel industry, an integral part of Western New York's industrial development. The city's many assets, including a strategic geographic location and strong labor force, positioned it as a major contributor to the economic growth of America. This growth would propel Buffalo's population to the 8th highest in the United States in 1910.

Geographically, Buffalo has no rivals. Access to the Great Lakes provided an unprecedented groundwork for marine-based commerce. The combination of marine, rail, and highway access created a unique transportation hub ideal for the production, storage, and movement of goods. A cluster of companies would soon form along Lake Erie including Bethlehem Steel, the largest steel manufacturer in the U.S.

By Anton Schwarzmueller, April 10, 2016

2. Hanna Furnace Marker

Approaching from the pedestrian bridge.

from the 1930s until the 1970s.

Bathlehem Steel spurred the creation of many related industries including The Hanna Furnace Corporation, specializing in the process of steel production. Occupying nearly 70 acres of this site, Hanna Furnace stored an annual supply of 650,000 tons of iron ore, 150,000 tons of limestone, 350,000 tons of coke, employed 800 workers and produced 63,000 tons of pig iron per month at the peak of production during WWII.

Erected by New York State Department of State.

Location. 42° 50.123′ N, 78° 51.035′ W. Marker is in Buffalo, New York, in Erie County. Marker can be reached from Ship Canal Parkway ¼ mile east of North Gates Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Buffalo NY 14218, United States of America.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on April 17, 2016, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York. This page has been viewed 141 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on April 17, 2016, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.